In Lebanon, children pay the price of the economic crisis
Audio 02:30
Two children here in Tripoli, Lebanon on June 21, 2021. (Photo illustration) REUTERS - EMILIE MADI
By: Noé Pignède Follow
6 mins
In Lebanon, 1 in 3 children sometimes go to bed hungry, according to a UNICEF report.
The agency is sounding the alarm concerning the situation of children in the Pays du Cèdre, which has 2 million refugees for 7 million inhabitants.
With the coronavirus pandemic and the economic crisis, 15% have reportedly been out of school this year and forced to work to support their families.
Lebanon is currently experiencing one of the most serious economic crises in its history, and it is the youngest people who are paying the price.
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In the city center of Tire, Naïma Abdellah and her 9 children crowd into two small rooms without windows.
Syrian refugees, they left Aleppo 7 years ago, hoping for a better life, but the economic crisis hit them hard.
The fridge is empty and the bills are piling up.
Mother:
“There is no work here, and we have 10 mouths to feed.
We get help from NGOs, but not enough to live on.
The food parcels and the money they give us allow us to last a week, not more.
Everything has become overpriced.
They are children, I don't want them to sleep hungry.
So, a year ago, they started to work to support the family. I can't stand this idea, but it was the only solution.
When I see other kids going to school, cultivating me, educating themselves, while mine go to work, of course it hurts me. It makes me want to die. I had a childhood. They don't have that chance. All parents want the best for their children. But with the crisis, there is no future for them. The situation is getting worse every day. Yesterday was better than today. And today will be less hard than tomorrow. "
Next to her, her 11-year-old son Mohammad has just returned from work.
With his brother, they sell packets of handkerchiefs on the side of the road.
Mother:
“
Do you want to be an adult and have responsibilities like now, or be a child and play?
"
Mohammad:
“I would like to be a child and play with others.
I have a grown up life, but I am still young.
"
The little boy already has adult thoughts.
Despite his very young age, he understands that the devaluation of the Lebanese pound and the economic crisis are depriving him of his childhood.
Mother:
“What is your dream?
"
Mohammad:
“I want the dollar to come down.
That way, the prices of things will drop, and Mom can buy things from us again.
"
Mother:
“I would like the situation to improve, to be able to offer them an education to help them with homework at home. I know they won't necessarily find a real job. But I want them to be happy. That they learn the basics and can express themselves correctly. You have seen Mohammad, at his age he still struggles to make a full sentence. "
In Lebanon, 1.2 million children have dropped out of school in one year.
A hemorrhage caused by the economic crisis, combined with the coronavirus pandemic: some children are condemned to work like Mohammad, and many families can no longer afford to buy a computer, pay for the internet connection or even electricity for them to take online courses.
Ultimately, a whole generation may never return to school.
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Lebanon
Economic crisis
Economy